


Memento Mori

by Shiruke_Lightheart



Category: Akudama Drive (Anime)
Genre: Afterlife, Confession, Head kiss, M/M, a little bit of Hoodlum character study? who knows, at least Hoodlum got to see his bro again in the afterlife, everyone is basically dead but what's new, hug, spoilers for episode 6 and 9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29983758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiruke_Lightheart/pseuds/Shiruke_Lightheart
Summary: Hoodlum's life has been tragic, and even more so after he accidentally ended up with a gang of Akudama. Luckily there was Brawler, but he died too soon leaving him alone again. By the time it's his time to go, he's not scared of dying anymore. He's ready to see Brawler again...Aftermath of Episode 9 where Hoodlum gets to see Brawler again in the afterlife.
Relationships: Brawler/Hoodlum (Akudama Drive)
Kudos: 3





	Memento Mori

The stinging pain in his throat numbed as his vision started to blur. So this was what it was like to die, huh? “You’re… the best… Bro…” he managed to get out weakly with his throat cut open like it was, his vision turning dark afterwards. Despite having always feared death as much as he did, he wasn’t scared now. Thinking of Brawler in his last moments made him feel warm, maybe he’ll be able to see him again now…

He had only known the man for three days, but in those few days Brawler had changed his life. Despite his lies, Brawler believed in him and hyped him up and saw him as the amazing person Hoodlum could only ever dream of being. Brawler looked up to him so much and vice versa. While Hoodlum had only started talking to Brawler because he was strong and simple, easy to use for his own good and protection. In those three days they spent together, Hoodlum had started to care for the big man, maybe even a little too much… It was already too late by the time he figured that out for himself though, and Brawler had died, leaving him behind alone to fend for himself surrounded by all these Akudama.   
Even when he had gotten the reward money, a huge sum of money like he had always dreamt of having, he couldn’t feel happy about it. They were free to leave and go their own way now, but at what cost? Brawler wasn’t there with him anymore and no amount of money could ever bring him back…

After getting away from Expo Park he had somehow ended up with Doctor, not that she left him much choice. While it definitely wasn’t his first or best choice, he didn’t mind too much cause at the very least it meant he wasn’t alone anymore and he hoped to be able to get his mind off Brawler a little that way. He knew fully well Doctor was only using him and didn’t care about him one bit, but he was okay with that. When she offered to have sex with him he even agreed, hoping it may serve as some kind of distraction for him. But he couldn’t stop thinking about Brawler all the while they were doing it and it made him feel even worse afterwards…

When he later learned she was the one indirectly responsible for Brawler’s death by messing with his wound, he couldn’t think straight anymore. His mind was clouded and his body trembled with a mixture of sadness and anger.   
He had cut open her carotid artery just like she had taught him with the full intent of killing her; and while his actions might have resulted in his own death, he didn’t mind. He was able to finally stand up for himself and do something he was proud of, something Brawler would’ve been proud of. He got revenge for his bro and nothing else mattered to him as his consciousness slowly faded and his blood formed a puddle underneath him.   
His body felt cold and hot simultaneously and it was an uncomfortable feeling, but it was soon enough replaced by the feeling of numbness as the last bits of his consciousness also faded into nothing…

Hoodlum couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but somehow he regained consciousness after a while. With his eyes still closed, his mind started to race _‘Wait? Didn’t I die? Was I saved? Did someone take me to a hospital? Maybe this is reincarnation?”  
_ His eyes still felt heavy as he slowly started to hear voices around him:   
“Took him long enough to finally wake up. I’ve been here for ages.” The somewhat rude feminine voice sounded familiar to him but he couldn’t quite place it. Where had he heard it before? His memories were foggy and he couldn’t quite recall.   
“Cut him some slack Doc, the guy just died.”  
Another familiar voice, but this time one he could recognise out of a thousand! _‘Bro!’_

He tried his best to force his eyes open, his vision still blurry as he did so. After blinking a few times his vision finally cleared up and he could see the two familiar faces staring at him, tears blurring his sight again upon finally seeing Brawler again.   
Without thinking, his body leaped up towards Brawler while yelling his name in glee; or at least that was what he tried to do. In reality his body didn’t yet want to work as well as he had envisioned and he fell into Brawler who instinctively caught him and only a raspy sound left his throat.

“Woah slow down there Brother. You gotta give your body a little time, your throat probably still hurts too, doesn’t it?” Brawler told him as he went through his knees to sit down on the floor together with Hoodlum.   
As Brawler told him so, Hoodlum realised he was right and brought his hands up to his throat. The wound Doctor had afflicted on him was gone but there was still some pain.   
Remembering Doctor had been there too, he looked around the room until he spotted her and glared when he did so. There was so much he wanted to get angry at her about, but whenever he opened his mouth, barely any sound came out.   
She clicked her tongue at him “God, you’re always so dramatic. At least wait with cussing me out until you can actually talk properly again,” she sneered at him as she strutted out of the room Hoodlum had found himself in, leaving him behind with Brawler.

Redirecting himself back to Brawler, who was still sitting next to him on the floor, Hoodlum wrapped his arms around his waist in a hug as tears welled up in his eyes again. “I missed you so much…” his voice sounded softly as he felt one of Brawler’s arms hug him back while the other kept his balance with Hoodlum leaning into him.

Slowly regaining his voice he continued “There’s so much things I never got to tell you. All these stupid lies I told you and you just died without ever giving me the chance to tell you the truth. Did you honestly believe someone like me could have a 500-million-year sentence? You’re so stupid Bro!” his voice was heavy with sobs coming through it as he cried into Brawler’s chest “And you never even gave me the chance to tell you how much I loved you! Why’d you have to run off and die on me like that! You’re so stupid!”

Brawler didn’t know what to say when Hoodlum sobbed into his chest and laid all this on him. “I’m sorry,” he simply said. “I don’t have to tell you how much I love fighting but I guess I shouldn’t have just ran off like that, huh…” He scratched his head as he only now properly realised he just ran off and left his Bro to fend for himself like that. “I had no idea you felt that way about me though, you should’ve told me.”  
Having calmed down a little after his little outburst, and being a little flustered about throwing all of his emotions at Brawler like that, he calmly replied “I never had the chance to… I didn’t even properly realise how I felt about you until you died and I was all alone again… Besides, you’re not really the person to care about emotions if they’re not related to fighting, are you?”

Brawler laughed “I guess you’re not completely wrong about that.”   
Ruffling Hoodlum’s hair he continued “Though I do care about your feelings Bro. You’re special to me too.”

Looking up to the tall man as he said this, Hoodlum chuckled “Sucks we didn’t figure this out sooner, huh?”  
“Well I am an idiot after all,” Brawler laughed as he patted Hoodlum on the back just a little too hard. “Now wipe off those tears bro, I like it better when you’re laughing,” he said with a broad smile, pulling Hoodlum closer to him and pressing a kiss on Hoodlum’s head through his hair. The action made the short man’s face turn a bright red colour as he got flustered by Brawler’s action. But at the same time it also resulted in a smile showing up on his face again, which was exactly what Brawler had wanted to happen.


End file.
